Ashes to Ashes: Scientists Discover New Life Form in Volcanic Soil
ashesEtna Observatory Field Station, Sicily — Scientists announced today the discovery of a previously unknown life form thriving in the mineral-rich soils around Mount Etna. The field team collected samples from cracked lava basalt after a recent eruption and sent them to a nearby laboratory for high-resolution imaging, chemical analysis, and genetic sequencing. Early results suggest the organism occupies a niche at extreme heat and low moisture, feeding on volcanic gases and minerals left behind by fresh lava flows.
The creatures appear as compact, filamentous colonies that cling to rock fragments, forming biofilms with a subtle, amber sheen. Under UV light they emit a faint glow, a phenomenon scientists say may reflect unusual pigment chemistry that protects the microbes from harsh sunlight and reactive gases. Genomic data indicate sequences that do not match any known Earth microbe, hinting at a potential new lineage adapted to the volcanic milieu.
'We were surprised by how quickly it colonized freshly cooled rock and how differently it metabolizes sulfur compounds compared with typical soil microbes,' said Dr. Alessio Moretti, lead microbiologist on the project. 'The genetic signals suggest a strategy for surviving in environments that swing between wet and dry, hot and cooler, in cycles that mirror volcanic activity.'
Co-researcher Dr. Mira Santos added, 'This could be a gateway to understanding life in extreme habitats elsewhere in the solar system. If it possesses a hardy metabolism and robust stress responses, it broadens our view of where life can persist.' The team is coordinating with biosafety officers to study the organism in containment and to ensure that field sites remain undisturbed.
While the finding is preliminary, researchers say the implications touch on ecology, evolution, and the potential for life in similarly harsh soils on other planets. The work continues with deeper sequencing and metabolic profiling, hoping to confirm whether a new genus or even a broader lineage has been found, and to map how these microbes shape the chemistry of volcanic soils over time.
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